Income Gap Increases

(AP) – The study, by the University of New Hampshire’s Carsey Institute, found that the widening income gap has shrunk New England’s middle class and disrupted many of the region’s communities.

The study was based on Census data and a statistical tool that measures changes in income distribution among populations. It found New England experienced the biggest increase in income inequality among eight regions nationwide.

The study looked at the period from 1989 to 2004 — a time when income inequality grew nationwide. New England’s income growth among people with the highest income outpaced the nation, while income losses among the poorest exceeded the national average.